The Black Branch Trails on Sand ending nº 4
by ograndebatata
Summary: This is a fanfic that I wrote about TakaPL's fanfic "Trails on Sand". It follows the main story during all the common chapters, but this ending is totally different from TakaPL's three original ones. I hope you enjoy.


Well, this story

Well, this story is an alternate ending to a story authored by TakaPL titled "Trails on Sand". For that, you have to know some things about this author's plotline. But basically, in this plotline, Vitani turns out to be the rightful heir of the Pride Lands, while Kovu is the rightful heir of Golden Sands, Zira's old kingdom. So, he and Kiara go back to the Golden Sands, where they have to deal with a group of rogues. Besides, Kiara doesn't adapt well to Golden Sands, and one lioness, Tetesi, who always loved Kovu, decides to take him as a mate… for any price. The best would be if you read TakaPL's original story, anyway. This is the same as during all the common chapters, but I gave it a totally different outcome.

TakaPL's foreword:

I have an honour to introduce You the very special story. The Black Branch is the fourth possible ending of "Trails on Sands", story authored by me. Ograndebatata read it, liked it (I hope), but still somehow felt unsatisfied with the final result. In original story, there were three possible finales, one for readers cheering Kiara, one for readers cheering Testesi and one for ones, who were unable to decide where their fondness lays. But that set lacks of quite obvious solution, closing the four eventual results of struggle between Golden Queen and her rival. Ograndebatata made up for that negligence and that way The Golden Branch comes to your paws.  
Read, and feel free to choose the conclusion You like the most. All four are roughly compatible with chromatically later story – The Previous Round - and it's depends on You, what could be the matching one. For sure, Ograndebatata's ending keeps the general feeling of story and excellently adapts my original idea of noir story, placed in the Land of Sand.  
And above all else – it's simple short, yet bloody (literally!) good piece of story.  
Enjoy!

And now read the fanfic itself.

The Black Branch

Chungu pounced on Tetesi with so much speed that both he and she were thrown four metres aside. On that moment, the brownfurred lioness was holding Kiara's neck on her paws, so, when she was pushed, the other lioness's neck was ripped apart by the full extended claws of her… subject? Friend? Rival? All of them in one? Or not even one of those things?

Whatever it was, Kiara had no time to think about that. She only had enough time to do something. Without knowing why, the golden lioness got up on her four paws, and started running - or hobbling, depending from the point of view – towards the Golden Cave. It was useless, and wouldn't give her any chance of survival. So, why to do it?

Meanwhile, Tetesi was facing her own problems. After falling on the sand, and recovering from Chungu's charge, the first thing that she noticed was that her claws were dirty with Kiara's blood. She smiled, knowing that she had finally fulfiled her main goal – to kill Kovu's mate, leaving him completely free to her. But just because that was the main goal it didn't mean it was the last, like the brownfurred lioness came to understand when the rogue's heavy paw hit her right on the head. She stepped back, barely avoiding the next attack.

"You killed Angaa!" growled Chungu.

"Sorry I had to misunderstood his peaceful intentions." said Tetesi with weary and at the same time ironical voice. The dizziness inside her head was so much that she didn't care for thinking why the first blow had let her alive. Was it to give her another chance to live at Kovu's side? Or to make her to feel any repentance for her mistake – if killing Kiara had been a mistake, and she had to feel repentance. The only thing that she knew was that the situation wasn't coming as she had planned. At all.

"You will die!" said the angry lion, attacking again.

"Someday, everyone will." said Tetesi, somehow dodging the following hit.

While the rogue prepared for another hit, the lioness had enough time to look around for Kiara. She saw her, hobbling in the Golden Cave's direction, while a stream of red blood was flowing from her neck. On that moment, without knowing why, Tetesi chuckled. Maybe it was from satisfaction or relief, for knowing that at least her plan was partially succeeding. Whatever it was, the sound caught Chungu's attention. The lioness noticed it, and then the idea of how to get rid of her last obstacle came to her mind.

"What's so funny?" asked Chungu.

"Will you let her go?" asked the lioness.

For a moment, the uncertain lion began turning his neck to Kiara, but then, before doing it completely, he turned to Tetesi - who was already crouching, ready to pounce – and shouted: "What do you think that I am, stupid? I don't fall for your tricks!"

"Damn it!" said Tetesi in mind. Now, it was all or nothing. She pounced on the lion, with wide open mouth, ready to solve the problem. But then, unexpectedly, Chungu also pounced on her.

Both predators collided in mid-air, biting and slashing each other, before falling heavily on the ground.

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Unaware to all the problems that her killer was facing, Kiara was just walking ahead, slowly losing any kind of consciousness of the world around her. But somehow, as time passed, she was getting more aware of the whole situation. She didn't feel any pain or sorrow – just a weakness that was quickly gaining complete control of her. The lioness knew that she was dying, but somehow – she didn't know exactly why, she tried to go as far as she could.

"Maybe I am doing it for Kovu." she thought with fading mind. "Or for Tetesi. They think that I'm too weak, and somehow they all wanted to eliminate me, even if only she did something directly in that sense. Well, maybe I'm dead, but I'll show them that I can walk in the desert. It's less hard than I thought. Focusing on moving ahead, and forget the weariness. I only wish I had understood it some months earlier. But now… can you see it? I'm a desert lioness now!"

That was her last living thought, before her paws finally became unable to stand her weight, and her muzzle hit the hot sand of her kingdom

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_It's over. For me, for Chungu, and for Kiara. Both I and he are lying on the sand, slowly dying. Maybe we would be able to move, but now there's no actual reason to do it. I'm not feeling any actual pain, but I know that my strenght is slowly draining. I don't know how it happened exactly, but, when I and Chungu collided in mid-air, I managed to squash his trachea in a single bite, but, as we fell, he grabbed my neck with his claws, and ripped it off. Well, I guess Chungu is dead already, at least he isn't moving, but I… I failed. I wanted so much to give Kovu a good mate that I failed, and even took from him the one that he already had. Now, he is all alone. That isn't what I wanted. But things don't always happen as we want. _

_More details? Never mind. What I can say is that males are less stupid that I first thought. And now I wonder, if Kovu will ever know how stupid it was the way how I loved him. _

_But somehow I die happily. I got better fate than I deserved. I enjoyed love of my king 'till death. I doubt if Kiara would dare to tell him the whole truth, but that doesn't matter, because she won't survive to do it. So, probably he will remember Kiara as a good friend and a good lioness, and remember me like his devoted subject and real…_

_Never mind. In the end, neither I nor Kiara got Kovu. Maybe he is so good that no lioness deserves him as mate. The problem is that he is all alone, without a queen._

_I'm sorry Kovu. I'm so glad you will never know about how stupid was way I loved you._

_I… I'm done. I'm going back on desert where I belong. Maybe, someday I will find there oasis of redemption._

Epilogue

When I'm recalling that day, I can't stop myself from shivering. I try to do the best that I can to rule alone, but it is hard. Some months have passed since that tragedy, and now… I'm not yet sure about what to think. However, I remember that day perfectly.

I'm not sure about how exactly the reconnaissance ended, but we found Kiara, about half a way from Rumble Gorge to the Golden Cave, dead after cut of both neck arteries.

Later we found Tetesi and Chungu, both dead… now I had no one who could actually comfort me. I would actually have cried there, if not for having another serious business on mind.

About an hour after our tragic discovery, Lipizi and Jamaa ran to the gorge and found Angaa's body. So, the story seemed obvious, at least for me: the two rogues had tried to kill the Golden Queen, and succeeded, and during the process they killed Tetesi, who stood heroically for her monarchess, unfortunately in vain.

It was very hard to do what I had to, but I exiled Lipizi from Golden Sands, because I was sure that she encouraged Angaa to kill my mate and subject. I was preparing to force her to confess, but – fortunately, because we saved time like that – she told everything by herself.

"I loved him, you !" cried lightfurred. "Ghibu was father of my cubs… But I loved him… I love them both and you killed them both." She rushed to pounce on me, but Jamaa overturned her and pinned to the ground.

"Please…" he whispered to me. "Don't avenge on her."

I barely heard what Jamaa said, because I was using almost all the strenght I had to repress myself of jumping to Lipizi's neck. Whatever, I did what he asked. Partially, at least.

"You are not allowed to live here, Lipizi." I called, with so decisive voice that now I get surprised.. "Your cubs shall stay in pride. We will give them better care than their wicked mother could give."

"I bet you will, Your Infallibility!" and spat on me.

"Are you trying my patience?" I asked with growling voice. Maybe first time in my life I was so angry and merciless… except maybe when I tried to kill Simba. But it was necessary. I don't know why, but I bet that Kauli got very pleased. "Go away."

She turned east and set off ahead. After few steps she stopped, to look on her cubs, but growl of whole pride hastened her. So she went further and Jamaa followed.

"Wait, Jamaa!" I called, surprised. "I have nothing against you. You may stay and…"

"You are noble and right king, my lord." Said lion with hollow voice. "It's really unfortunate what happened here. But please, do not ask me to praise your justice. It hurts." Then he turned back to Lipizi. "I'm going with her, because she is only pride I have now. Farewell, fair ruler. I hope you are satisfied."

I heard the lionesses sighing with sorrow, and even I did the same inside. Jamaa was favourite of the whole pride, and a very useful help. But if he willingly defied me, it was better for him to leave. But better not always means good. We just watched them leaving for some time, unable to do anything, because nobody actually knew what to think.

"Let's go home." I said finally. "Many bad things happened, but we can't undo them. We could only make sure that none of those mistakes would be repeated in future."

So we entered cave – smaller and harmed pride. But somehow stronger. We were whole again.

I am going very well with Dhalimu. I love him as I should love my son, and he loves me as he should love his father. Or maybe even more, because I am, somehow, father and mother to him at the same time. I refused to take any other lioness as my mate. I already have an heir, so I don't think I need a mate anymore. Even if I needed, I wouldn't be able to have one, after what happened to Tetesi and Kiara. Dhalimu is the best son in the world, but I notice that he seems a little bit jealous of the other cubs. I asked him several time why, but he always says it is because he doesn't have a mother. He doesn't hate me, he doesn't place any fault on me, but he seems to place it all on Chungu and Angaa… probably when he becomes an adult he will hate rouges… I am trying to teach him that it was just the Circle of Life, it wasn't meant to happen, but I have some doubts that he fully understands my explanations. He seemed to have a big bond with Kiara, in spite the fact he barely remembers about her.

Even today, I wonder what would be better. To have Tetesi on my side, or to have Kiara… Kiara had lots of advantages… but most of them didn't help in being a queen. So, (I hope Kiara forgives me if she is hearing what I say) I think Tetesi would be a better queen. However (I hope Tetesi forgives me if she is hearing what I say), I think Kiara would be a better mother to Dhalimu. Maybe because of her more gentle and simple-hearted nature… oh… what it cares now?

Somehow, the whole pride and Kauli are helping me to rule the Golden Sands, eventhough everyday I doubt if I am really a good king. So, if I may ask… mother… dad…. Scar… help me. And, if I may ask that… help me both of you, Tetesi and Kiara.


End file.
